This invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement of parts to provide modular constructional units to form a combined storage area and display assembly for rolls of decorative paper and the like; and more particularly, the present invention relates to such modular constructional units uniquely constructed for vertical stacking and horizontal adjoining to extend along an essentially straight-line path while forming storage bins and displays at an angle with respect to the straight-line path.
The customary practice of thumbing through sample books to select an appealing decorative paper such as wallpaper has been replaced to a large extent by more recent advancements to the merchandizing of wallpaper on a serve-yourself-basis. The use of sample books demands the time and expense of a salesperson to take an identifying number from a sample of wallpaper in the display book and locate the corresponding roll of wallpaper from inventory. The more recent serve-yourself-concept is to permit the customer to browse around the store and pick rolls of wallpaper or other decorative material directly from storage bins.
A particularly useful solution to the problem of displaying samples of various wallpaper within the bins is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,756. In this patent, there is disclosed an angular arrangement between a straight-line path and the storage bins with a display area adjacent each bin. The storage bins and display areas are formed by spaced, vertically-extending side partitions disposed at an angle with respect to the straight-line path along which a platform extends for supporting the partitions. Bins are formed by shelves that span the space between each adjacent pair of parallel partitions. The forward and rear edges of the shelves are perpendicular to two bounding partitions but the forward edge of each shelf does not extend beyond the forward edge of one of the two bounding partitions. This arrangement of partitions and shelves has the distinct advantage of maximizing the use of available floor space to provide both bins and display areas for a sample of wallpaper directly adjacent the storage bin.
However, the construction of parts necessary to form the storage bins and display areas is a costly and time-consuming operation requiring the use of skilled labor. The vertical partitioned walls for a stack of bins at each side thereof are an integral part of the assembly which are not easily dismantled for rearrangement or reconstruction at other locations as may be desired or necessary from time-to-time. These and other disadvantages and shortcomings are overcome by the modular constructional units of the present invention.